Shooter's children saw killings, called 911

Published: Friday, May 10, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 4:50 p.m.

Life seemed to go from bad to worse this year for 32-year-old Robert Warren III, whose nearly seven-year employment at Eaton Corp. in Asheville ended Feb. 13. Two days later, a third warrant accusing him of making threats and harassing phone calls was issued for his arrest.

Facts

911 call:

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Warren, of Arden, was most recently picked up by Henderson County deputies May 3 for missing a court date on the charges. Five days later, his world came to a screeching halt.

Maj. Frank Stout of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office said Warren was estranged from his wife when he drove up to her parents' home Wednesday on Piney Ridge Drive in Hendersonville, where she and their two children, a 9-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son, were staying.

"My neighbors across the street are fighting and I hear gunshots, massive gunshots. We need someone in a hurry," a caller told 911. "I heard at least... 10 or 12 gunshots."

Stout said Robert Warren shot and killed Carrie Tracy Warren, 30, and her parents, Theresa Russell Tracy, 49, and Richard Allen Tracy, 51. Investigators found "shell casings for approximately 20 rounds" at the crime scene. Robert Warren was later found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

The caller said the Warrens' young children were both outside when the shooting occurred.

"Are they still physically fighting right now?" the dispatcher asked.

"I have no idea, but the kids are crying," she said.

In another 911 call from the Warrens' daughter, a young voice can be heard crying for "Mommy."

She told the dispatcher that she ran as fast as she could to her friend's house after the shooting. She called 911 from a nearby home.

"Please call an ambulance. I don't want my mom to die," she said.

A MAMA air ambulance was called to the scene shortly after the 911 calls came in, but all three victims were dead when police responded.

Stout said the children are now in the care of family members.

Neighbors told investigators that Wednesday was not the first time the couple had fought, Stout said.

"It doesn't appear that there were multiple incidents yesterday," he said Thursday, "but it appears that there were incidents over the last couple of months" between the two.

No one had called for police assistance during any recent incidents.

Robert Warren was charged in 2005 with assaulting Carrie Warren by choking her. The charge was reduced to a misdemeanor, and he was given a suspended sentence. No domestic violence order was currently in place to separate the two, according to Stout.

Robert Warren's body was found in a field across from the intersection of Howard Gap and Jackson roads around 8 p.m. Wednesday, nearly two-and-a-half hours after the shooting on Piney Ridge Drive.

"There were other rounds found with him where he was located," Stout said. A "couple of magazines," unused, were also found. A 38-caliber pistol tucked away in a zippered case was found in the car's glove box.

The handgun "had not been used at either crime scene," Stout said.

The car Robert Warren was driving, a silver Pontiac convertible, was registered to his mother. The tag did not match the vehicle or the driver.

"We're still looking to see what the situation was with that," Stout said.

Relatives at Robert Warren's mother's residence in Dana declined to speak with the media Thursday.

With the amount of ammunition found and with Warren's "state of mind," Stout said the tragedy could have been even worse.

"It could have been very, very serious for law enforcement and first responders or anybody else in close proximity to this man," he said.

Police, armed with assault weapons, staked out a perimeter, closing a stretch of Howard Gap Road from Jackson to Old Hendersonville roads after Robert Warren's car was found. They canvassed the area.

"We were doing everything we could to stop the threat of further violence in the community," Stout said.

Warren's body was found nearly a football field's length away from the car, behind a small hill near the tree line.

"I would encourage people... that if they see somebody having issues similar to this, and the person has the means or the propensity of violence toward others, to please contact your local authorities and let us investigate further," Stout said.

<p>Life seemed to go from bad to worse this year for 32-year-old Robert Warren III, whose nearly seven-year employment at Eaton Corp. in Asheville ended Feb. 13. Two days later, a third warrant accusing him of making threats and harassing phone calls was issued for his arrest.</p><p>Warren, of Arden, was most recently picked up by Henderson County deputies May 3 for missing a court date on the charges. Five days later, his world came to a screeching halt.</p><p>Maj. Frank Stout of the Henderson County Sheriff's Office said Warren was estranged from his wife when he drove up to her parents' home Wednesday on Piney Ridge Drive in Hendersonville, where she and their two children, a 9-year-old daughter and 4-year-old son, were staying. </p><p>"My neighbors across the street are fighting and I hear gunshots, massive gunshots. We need someone in a hurry," a caller told 911. "I heard at least... 10 or 12 gunshots."</p><p>Stout said Robert Warren shot and killed Carrie Tracy Warren, 30, and her parents, Theresa Russell Tracy, 49, and Richard Allen Tracy, 51. Investigators found "shell casings for approximately 20 rounds" at the crime scene. Robert Warren was later found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. </p><p>The caller said the Warrens' young children were both outside when the shooting occurred.</p><p>"Are they still physically fighting right now?" the dispatcher asked.</p><p>"I have no idea, but the kids are crying," she said.</p><p>In another 911 call from the Warrens' daughter, a young voice can be heard crying for "Mommy."</p><p>"My daddy just shot my mom and my grandma... and my grandpa," the daughter told the 911 dispatcher. "Please come help!"</p><p>"Where's your dad at?" the dispatcher asked.</p><p>"I don't know where he went; he just drove off," she cried. </p><p>She told the dispatcher that she ran as fast as she could to her friend's house after the shooting. She called 911 from a nearby home.</p><p>"Please call an ambulance. I don't want my mom to die," she said. </p><p>A MAMA air ambulance was called to the scene shortly after the 911 calls came in, but all three victims were dead when police responded. </p><p>Stout said the children are now in the care of family members. </p><p>Neighbors told investigators that Wednesday was not the first time the couple had fought, Stout said.</p><p>"It doesn't appear that there were multiple incidents yesterday," he said Thursday, "but it appears that there were incidents over the last couple of months" between the two.</p><p>No one had called for police assistance during any recent incidents.</p><p>Robert Warren was charged in 2005 with assaulting Carrie Warren by choking her. The charge was reduced to a misdemeanor, and he was given a suspended sentence. No domestic violence order was currently in place to separate the two, according to Stout.</p><p>Robert Warren's body was found in a field across from the intersection of Howard Gap and Jackson roads around 8 p.m. Wednesday, nearly two-and-a-half hours after the shooting on Piney Ridge Drive. </p><p>"There were other rounds found with him where he was located," Stout said. A "couple of magazines," unused, were also found. A 38-caliber pistol tucked away in a zippered case was found in the car's glove box.</p><p>The handgun "had not been used at either crime scene," Stout said.</p><p>The car Robert Warren was driving, a silver Pontiac convertible, was registered to his mother. The tag did not match the vehicle or the driver. </p><p>"We're still looking to see what the situation was with that," Stout said.</p><p>Relatives at Robert Warren's mother's residence in Dana declined to speak with the media Thursday. </p><p>With the amount of ammunition found and with Warren's "state of mind," Stout said the tragedy could have been even worse.</p><p>"It could have been very, very serious for law enforcement and first responders or anybody else in close proximity to this man," he said.</p><p>Police, armed with assault weapons, staked out a perimeter, closing a stretch of Howard Gap Road from Jackson to Old Hendersonville roads after Robert Warren's car was found. They canvassed the area.</p><p>"We were doing everything we could to stop the threat of further violence in the community," Stout said. </p><p>Warren's body was found nearly a football field's length away from the car, behind a small hill near the tree line.</p><p>"I would encourage people... that if they see somebody having issues similar to this, and the person has the means or the propensity of violence toward others, to please contact your local authorities and let us investigate further," Stout said.</p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>